A quick guide for travel to, from, within or over the USA

Step 2: Provide your Advance Passenger Information and Secure Flight Passenger Data through manage booking before we can issue your tickets. This information is mandatory for travel to the USA.

Step 3: Your tickets will be issued once this information has been received.

Step 4: You will require an ESTA or visa to travel to the USA. Please check your requirements. If you are eligible for an ESTA, you can apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) at the US Customs and Border Protection ESTA websiteOpens external site in a new window.

You must supply this information to us or your travel agent at the time of booking. You can provide this information on manage booking.

What is the Secure Flight Program?

Secure Flight enables pre-screening of passenger information against USA Federal Government watch lists. Watch list matching applies to all domestic and international passengers travelling on flights into, out of, within, or over the USA. The stated objectives of the program are to:

identify known and suspected terrorists;

prevent individuals on the No Fly List (and in some circumstances, other watch lists maintained by the USA Federal Government) from boarding an aircraft to the USA;

identify individuals on the Selectee List for enhanced screening to determine if they are permitted to board an aircraft;

facilitate passenger air travel by allowing cleared passengers to continue with their travel to the USA; and

protect individuals' privacy.

What happens to the Secure Flight information?

The airline must receive clearance from the Transport Security Administration (TSA) for every passenger before that passenger is allowed to board a flight to, from, within or over the USA.

To obtain Secure Flight clearance, the airline must send the passenger's name, date of birth, gender and redress number (if applicable) to the TSA at least 72 hours prior to flight departure. The TSA is a division of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for the matching process.

The TSA has provided the following Privacy Notice for passengers: "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires you to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender for the purpose of watch list screening, under the authority of 49 U.S.C. section 114, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and 49 C.F.R parts 1540 and 1560. You may also provide your Redress Number, if available. Failure to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender may result in denial of transport or denial of authority to enter the boarding area. The TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice. For more on TSA privacy policies, or to review the system of records notice and the privacy impact assessment, please visit Transport Security Administration.Opens external site in a new window"

What happens if I fail to provide this information?

If you have not provided your full name, date of birth and gender, your tickets will not be issued. The passport details and destination address for each passenger is also required at the time of booking on qantas.com. If you have not provided all of this information, you may be disrupted during check-in and you may not be able to board your flight.

Does Secure Flight replace the Advance Passenger Information System?

The Secure Flight Program does not replace the APIS requirement. In addition to the information provided to the TSA, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires carriers to submit passenger passport details, alien registration number (where applicable) and for flights arriving into the USA, country of residence details and address details in the USA (not required for US citizens and permanent residents). The carrier will not permit a passenger to board a flight to the USA unless CBP clearance has been received.

Both Secure Flight and APIS information can be provided on manage booking.

An ESTA is only available from the US Customs and Border Protection ESTA websiteOpens external site in a new window. You should apply at least 72 hours before your scheduled travel. You will be asked to answer basic eligibility questions and you will usually be advised immediately if your travel is authorised under the Visa Waiver Program.

Note: The US Government has advised that ESTA applications are subject to a fee. An ESTA is valid for two years or expiry date of passport (if less than two years).

if your passport has been issued on or after 26 October 2006, your passport must be an 'e-passport'.

What if I fail to obtain an ESTA?

You will not be permitted to board a flight to the USA.

If you do not obtain an ESTA and you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, you will need to obtain a visa from a US Embassy or Consulate in advance of your travel. Please allow sufficient time for the US authorities to process your visa application.

Important information

Disclaimer: * A redress number is a unique number that helps the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to eliminate watch list misidentification. If a passenger has experienced screening difficulties or believes they have been mistakenly matched to a name on a US watch list, they may apply to the US Department of Homeland SecurityOpens external site in a new window (DHS) for a redress number.